EXPERIENCE AND PROSPECTS OF CHINA-UKRAINE ECONOMIC AND TRADE COOPERATION IN THE JOINT CONSTRUCTION OF THE BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE FROM 2013 TO 2023
Abstract
In 2013, China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative with the aim of closely integrating its rapidly developing economy with the economies of countries along the Belt and Road route, creating new opportunities for economic development through complementarity. Ukraine, located in the connecting zone between Europe and Asia, is an important country along the Belt and Road route leading to Europe. 2023 marks the tenth anniversary of China-Ukraine cooperation in the Belt and Road Initiative. Over the past decade, cooperation between China and Ukraine in various fields such as trade and investment has deepened, accumulating rich experience. This article systematically reviews the historical process of China-Ukraine cooperation in the Belt and Road Initiative over the past ten years, analyzes the development trends of bilateral trade, and examines the experience accumulated in areas such as infrastructure, agriculture, investment, mineral development, and high-tech cooperation within the Belt and Road framework. The challenges faced by the two countries in jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative are also analyzed, mainly focusing on the impacts of Ukraine's domestic political instability and policy changes during regime transitions. Economic development in Ukraine has been affected by geopolitical conflicts, resulting in market instability and affecting investment and project progress. These factors pose challenges to the Belt and Road Initiative, particularly the severe impact of the outbreak of war. Additionally, this article introduces the current efforts of China and Ukraine to strengthen communication and cooperation in order to achieve a peaceful resolution as soon as possible. In the future, once the ongoing war comes to an end, both countries can leverage their ten years of experience in economic and trade cooperation. With a stable political situation and increasing market attractiveness in Ukraine, both sides can fully unleash the role of market entities, expand bilateral cooperation, promote the alignment of their economic development strategies, and actively engage in post-war reconstruction cooperation.
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